Emergency brake control mechanism



July 25 1933 E.. sEJERsEN EMERGENCY BRAKE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 12, 1929 3 SheellS-Sheei'I l fave/r July 25, 193s. E SEJERSEN 1,919,754

EMERGENCY BRAKE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 25, E. SEJERSEN lEHUIRGEICY BRAKE CONTROL MEGHANISM Filed April 12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Qzzar 95575622/ Patented July 25, 1933 Appifcatiun sled April 12, 1929. serial no. 354,487.

invention relates generally to control mechanism for the einergencybr'ake off an 'automotive vehicle and 'more particularly to means vfor eliminating the usual pavvl :and

ratchet mechanism for holding the emergency brake lever in applied position and to means for automatically releasing the emergency brake and restoring the brake ope-rA ating leverfto normal positiony upon: depres-V sion of the` clutch pedal of the vehicle.

I-t is an object of my invention to provide an' emergency brake operating mechanism in `Which it is unnecessary to disengage a paWl from a ratchet in order tof release the brake. i

Itis a further object to providev means `for releasing the emergency brake automatically upon depression of the clutch pedal. VIt is a `further object to provide means rl'or preventing the shifting of thegears from neutral when the emergency brake is applied. i` i f Y Itis a further object to provide a simple mechanism of the above described type Which'will be positive in operation, durable in construction and which may be readily manufactured. and' installed. `Other objects Will' appear-fromk 'the tolloWing description, reference being had toy the Yacc'zpompanying drawings, in which v Fig. l is a vertical sectionalv view'o the device of my invention showing its connection With the transmission of an automotive vehicle; Y j y Fig 2 is .a-vertical section taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3' is a vertical'sectiontaken on the lline 3 3 of Fig.` l; y y

' Figfl is a detailed sectional View taken 40 on theline 4-4 of Fig. l; v Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line Vfi-5 of Fig. l; and 'f Fig. 6 is a right side 'elevation of my invention applied to an automotive vehicle.

` The emergencybr'ake control mechanisms at present generally used on automotive vehicles comprise a brake lever having amanually releasable paWl `engaging a station' ary ratchet segment to hold the lever inset .50 position.` 'When the :emergency brake is tightly applied thisy paWl frequently becomesvery tightly wedged' between the teeth et vthe ratchet segment `so'that it is dilicult lior'vvomen drivers to releaseit.` Furthermore, dueto the spacing of thete'eth on the 55 'ratchet segment, 1t is impossrblein some instances to apply thebrake jWith as.4 much' torce as is desired since .the paWl just misses slipping over the last tooth .of the segment.,

With 'the controls now in general use, in- 50 experienced 1 or careless drivers `frequently Vforget to` release thel emergency brake prior to starting the vehicle, thusolten burning out the emergency brake lining. I have provided tWo optionally usable means for preventing the driver trom starting the vehicle with vthe brake applied. One of these means is controlled bytheoperation ot the clutch" pedaland the other comprises a locl'wliic'h prevents shiftingrof the gears from neutral position to low or to reverse When the emergenoybrake is applied; v f In Fig'. 6 I have f, illustrated my invention as applied -to an automotive vehicle ,Whichy Y. comprises generally an enginecasing' l0',r4 a 75 transmission casing l2,an emergency brake housing 14,V and a gear shift lever 161. The emergency brake Within the housing 14e actsk upon the'propellershaft l18 and -is applied by clockwise rotation olf the shaft 20, to the g@ outer' end of which an arm 22 is secured. 1 The arm 22 is pivotally connected to one end of Aan `adjustable.pull rod 24, the otherV end ot which is adju-stably and pivotally secured to the end of an arm 26. The arm g5' 26 is rigidly clamped toj-the hub 28 l) i of afclutchjplate 30.` The hub 28 s-mternally threaded so as to receive a threaded shaft Leftward movement of' the hub 28' relative to the shaft 32 (F ig. 1)? is'lim'L 9@ ited .by a 'cap screw 34 threaded inthe 'hub and having its end adapted to engage the end of the thread formed on thesh-aft 32. The hub 28 andthe shaft 32'are j'ournalled ina two piece housing formed by a member 95 36 and 'a cover plate 38, the latter being threadedly secured to the lormer.Y v l The member 36 has suitable sidewardly extending flanges 40' through which the heus'L f ing is secured to a `longitud-ina'l reinforcing OO` channel 42 by bolts 44. Secured to or formed integral with (as shown) the shaft 82 is a second clutch plate 46. The clutch plates and 46 have opposed surfaces 48 and which are adapted to make frictional contact with a friction plate 52. The latter plate is mounted for free rotation upon the shaft 32, antifriction rollers 54 being provided to facilitate such free rotation.

rl`he plate 52 has a plurality of long tapering notches 56 formed in its peripheral edge. A roller 58 is normallyprojected toward the narrower portion of each of these notches by a plunger 60 normally forced outwardly by a spring 62.

`The rollers 58 are thus normally held in engagement with the inner wall of the housing member 86 'and the peripheral edge of the plate 52. These rollers thus form a lock to -prevent counterclockwise rotation (Fig. 2) of the plate 52 relative to the housing member 86. Clockwise movement of the plate 52Ais permitted by these rollers since upon initial clockwise movement of the plate the rollerswill be forced into the large ends of the slots against the pressure of their springs 62, in which position they no longer form a frictionalwedge between the plate 52 and the housing member 86.

Ball bearings 62 may be provided inthe rear face ofthe clutch' plate 46 so as to prevent this plate from locking against the cover plate 88. The emergency brake lever 66 is rigidly secured over the tapered end of the shaft 82, beingl held in place by a nut68 threaded on the shaft. A she-ave 68 is keyed to the shaft 82 between the emergency brake lever 66 and the brake actuating arm 26.

A stub shaft 70. is secured to the inner end of the shaft 82 by a suitable flexible coupling 712. Theright-handend .(Fig. 1) `of the shaft 70 projectsY into a sleeve 74 which is rigidly secured to-:a short shaftv 76 by a bolt 78. .A pin 80 is secured in thev end of the shaft 70 and projects through a slot 82 formed in the sleeve 74. A torsion spring 84 has one end secured to the bolt 78 and the other end secured to a bolt 86 which passes through the shaft 70. A latch 88is rigidly secured to or formed intgrally with the shaft 76.,k This latch has a tooth 90 which is normally forced upwardly against the shaft 92. This shaft forms a part of the gear shifting mechanism and has a notch d. 94 which, when the gears are in neutral, lies above the tooth 90 of the latch 88. Since the spring 84 tends to rotate the shaft 76 so as to force the tooth 90of the latch 88 against the shaft 9,2, the tooth of the latch willengage thenotch in the shaft 92 and prevent shifting movement thereofA under certain conditions as will hereinafter appear. .The shaft 70 is guided in a plate 96 secured to the transmission casing. 12, a suitable packing 98 beingl provided to prevent drainage of lubricant from said easing around said shaft. `The clutch pedal 100 is connected by a link 102 to an arm 104 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 106 which is journalled in a suitable bearing 108 secured to the casing 10.

An arm 11,0 is secured tothe shaft 106 in alignment with the sheave 68 and is connected to said sheave by a chain 112the end of said chain being secured to said sheave by a pin 114.

In operation,pthe driver merely pulls the emergency brake lever rearwardly until the brakes are applied with sufficient pressure. Counterclockwise movement (Fig. 6) of the shaftr32, to which the lever 66 is rigidly secured, causes the (clutch plate 8O to move against the friction plate 52 due to the interaction of the threads on the shaft 32 with the threaded hub' 28 of the clutch' in the opposite direction by the rollers 58.

Then itis desired to release the brakes it is necessary merely to push the lever 66 forwardly. During the initial portion of thisv forward movement the clutch plate 30 will be moved out of contact with the plate 52 due to the interaction of the threaded portion of the shaft 32 with the hub 28, therebypermitting the arm 26 to swing clockwise (Fig. 6) through an angle corresponding to the angle through which the 'l lever 66 has been moved.

It will be understood that the emergency brake mechanism lwithinthe housing 14 has suitable resilient means which will tend at all times to release the brake and to swing the arm 22 counterclockwise (Fig. 6). Such means are diagrammatically illustrated as a tension coil spring 28.

Assuming that the gear shift lever has been shifted to neutral before applying the emergency brake, a rearward pull on the lever 66 will cause the shaft 70 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 1, thus tensioning the spring 84 and moving the pin 80 in the slotv 82. The sleeve 74, shaft 76 and hence the latch 88, will thus be driven through the spring 84 in the direction of the arrow A so as to cause the tooth 90 to register in the notch 94. If the gear shift lever is not in neutral position when l the emergency brake lever is applied, the spring 84 will permit the shaft 70 to rotate and will force the latch 88 against the shaft 92. so that if thereafter the gear shift lever is shifted to neutral position, the latch tooth `8,2 and swing the tooth 90 of the latch 88 out of the notch 94 and thus permit operation of the `gear shift lever.

I have also provided means which may optionally be used to release the emergency brake. By depression of the clutch pedal 100 the shaft 106 is rotated counterclock-` wise (Fig. 6) and exerts a pull upon the chain 112. This pull on the chain 112 rotates the shaft 32 in a direction opposite toy the `arrow A and thereby Vhas the same effectv as the forward push on the lever 66.

If desired, however, both the latch means for preventing shifting of the gears from neutral position when the emergency brake is applied, and the clutch pedal actuated means for releasing the emergency brake,

may be used.

be used. Other means may be used to support the device, for example, thehousing 36 may be secured directly to the transmission gear casing.'

The invention is capable of wide variation within equivalent limits and I contemplate such variation as may be desirable or useful in the particular adaptation of the invention shown, or in its adaptation to other mechanisms. Ido not restrict myself in any unessential particulars, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an emergency brake mechanism having spring actuated means for releasing the same, a manually .operable lever for actuating said brake mechanism to apply the brake, a rotatable frictionplate, a housing therefor, means to prevent rotation of said plate in one direction comprising a roller positioned between said plate and said housing, a pair of clutch plates engageable with said friction plate and connected to said mechanism and lever respectively, and a screw connection between said plates, whereby movement of said lever in one direction will cause said clutch plates to clamp;

against saidfriction plate and move therewith and movement of said lever in the opposite direction will cause said clutch plates tol be moved away from said friction .plate and permit free movement of the one of said clutch plates connected with said brake mechanism under the influence of its spring' actuated means.

2. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of spring returned means for apply- It willrbe understood that other means for connecting the clutch pedal with the emergency brake lever handle may ing the emergency brake thereof, an emergency brake handle, a rotatable shaft operatively connected to said handle, a clutch plate movable with saidshaft, screw threads on said shaft, a second clutch plate having an internally threaded hub engageablewith'V the screw threads on said shaft, means connecting said hub with said brake applying means, a friction plate rotatably mounted on said shaft and positioned between saidl clutch plates, a housing surrounding said friction and clutch plates, and frictional wedging means positioned for direct engagep ment between said friction plate and said ,housing tol prevent rotation of said friction plate in one direction only.

3.1In an automotive vehicle, the combination of means for applying the emergency brake thereof, an emergency brake iandle, a rotatable shaft operatively connected to said handle, a clutch plate movable with said shaft, screw threads on .said shaft, a second clutch plate having an internally threaded hub engageable `with the screw threads on said shaft, means connecting said hub with said brake applyingl means, -a friction plate rotatably mounted on said "shaft and positioned between said clutch plates, a housing surrounding said friction and clutch plates, means cooperl ating between said housing and said friction plate permitting movement of the latter in one direction only, a clutch controlling pedal for the automotive vehicle, and a connection between said pedal and said shaft operative to rotate the shaft upon depres-` sion of the pedal.

4. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of means for applying the emergency brake thereof, an emergency brakehandle, a rotatable shaft operatively connectedY to said handle, a clutch plate movable with said shaft, screw threads on said shaft, a second clutch plate having yan internally threaded hub engageable with` the screwv threads on said shaft, means connecting said hub with saidbrake applying means, a friction plate rotatably mounted on said shaft and positioned between said clutch plates, a housing surrounding said friction and clutchk plates, means cooperating between saidhousing and said friction platev permitting movement of the latter in one direction only, a clutch controlling pedal for the automotive vehicle, and a lost motion connection between said pedal and said shaft l EJ NAR SEJERSEN. 

